Impacto da Internet no fluxo da comunicação científica em saúde

Communication flow of scientific information has been restructured with the development of new technologies and the Internet and their impact on social relations worldwide. The production of scientific knowledge has also been influenced by these cultural, social and economic changes and has contributed to new patterns of scientific communication. The objective of the study was to present the traditional scientific communication model and its evolution to electronic scientific communication stimulated by the use of electronic media and Internet and networking. While the traditional model is based on printed publications, the new one focuses on electronic publishing and open unlimited access to published literature. The challenges faced are in using all the potential of electronic media for improving traditional communication flow of scientific information and defining policies to support the new model of scientific communication to ensure quality, preservation and dissemination of information as a common good.Com o advento da Internet e das novas tecnologias houve uma reestruturação do fluxo da comunicação científica, assim como das relações sociais no mundo. A produção de conhecimento científico também foi influenciada por essas mudanças culturais, econômicas e sociais e contribuiu para transformar os padrões de comunicação científica. O objetivo do estudo é apresentar o modelo de comunicação tradicional e sua evolução para a comunicação científica eletrônica, estimulada pelo uso de meios eletrônicos e da Internet e pelo compartilhamento em rede. Enquanto o modelo tradicional está voltado para a publicação impressa, o novo modelo propõe a publicação eletrônica e o acesso livre e irrestrito ao material publicado. Os desafios consistem na utilização de todas as potencialidades dos meios de comunicação eletrônicos para aprimorar aspectos positivos do fluxo de comunicação científica tradicional e na definição de políticas que sustentem a nova estrutura do fluxo de comunicação científica, garantindo a qualidade, preservação e disseminação da informação como bem público

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients from Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, with AIDS and oportunistic infections

Com o objetivo de conhecer e atualizar as características clínicas e epidemiológicas dos pacientes com aids e infecções oportunistas na região de Ribeirão Preto, foram revisados os prontuários médicos de 1019 pacientes com aids, do sub - grupo IVc (CDC), atendidos no HCFMRP, no período de janeiro de 1992 a agosto de 1996.Os seguintes itens foram analisados: data do primeiro atendimento, sexo, idade, cidade em que residia, via provável de aquisição do HIV, época do primeiro exame anti -HIV positivo, número de linfócitos CD4/mm3 por ocasião do primeiro atendimento, data da primeira manifestação infecciosa após o início do seguimento, tipo e número de complicação(ões) infecciosa(s), data do óbito e tipo de infecção(ões) diagnosticada(s) nos pacientes que faleceram. Os resultados, quando comparados com os obtidos no período de 1987 a 1991, apontam para modificações importantes em algumas características dos pacientes no segundo período, como aumento da via de transmissão heterossexual do HIV, aumento da participação de mulheres na casuística, uma tendência de diagnóstico mais precoce da infecção pelo HIV e aumento da sobrevida dos pacientes. Por outro lado, os pacientes continuam sendo acometidos por ampla gama de processos infecciosos durante a evolução da aids, com destaque para a candidíase, as pneumonias bacterianas, a neurotoxoplasmose, a pneumonia por P.carinii, a sinusite, a diarréia e a neurocriptococose. Menção especial deve ser feita à tuberculose que acometeu cerca de 30% dos pacientes durante o período de seguimento.    In order to up-to-date informations about the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of AIDS patients with opportunistic infections, from the Ribeirão Preto region, we revised 1019 medical records of individuals belonging to IVc AIDS sub-group attended in HCFMRP in the period from January 1992 to August 1996. The following parameters were analyzed: date of the first medical examination, sex, age, city of residence, probable form of acquisition of HIV, time of the first anti-HIV positive test, number of CD4+/mm3 lymphocytes at the beginning of the follow-up, date of the first infectious episodes after the beginning of the follow-up, type and number of infectious episodes, date of the death and the type of infectious processes diagnosed in the patients that died. The results point out for important modifications in some characteristics of the patients over the last five years. We noted, by comparing with the results obtained in the period of 1987 to 1991, an increase in the heterosexual transmission of HIV and an increase of the number of women with AIDS; a tendency of an early diagnosis of the HIV infection and an increase in patients’ survival. In the other hand patients continued presenting a wide range of infectious processes during the AIDS evolution with emphasis for candidiasis, for bacterial pneumonia, for neuro-toxoplasmosis, for pneumocystosis, for sinusitis, for diarrhoea, and for neuro-cryptococcosis. Special mention must be done for tuberculosis, which was diagnosed in 30% of the patients during the follow-up period

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic